Sunrise at Capri

According to William Stanley Haseltine's daughter and biographer, Helen Haseltine Plowden, her father first visited Capri in the spring of 1858, and remained inspired by the island for the rest of his life. Although it is difficult to date this painting, based on its light palette it has been suggested that it is a late work. It may be the canvas that is described in a May 1896 article in the Boston Standard: "A striking painting of large size represents the island of Capri; jagged and picturesque rocks break into the air from the blue waters of the bay and tower to a height of many hundred feet, their rough outlines almost startling by their bold contour. Upon the summit of the highest point of Capri, a monastery was erected long ago to which pilgrims flock every year; the walls of the monastery are still standing and in fair preservation. Never have we seen man's handiwork, in its relation to Nature, more faithfully delineated than by Mr. Haseltine, in this picture." "Sunrise at Capri" was selected for the Academy's permanent collection from the Haseltine estate at the invitation of Mrs. Plowden in 1952.